Many persons desire to display strings of miniature lamps on festive and holiday occasions. Such displays increase the festivity of the occasion and at the same time may provide the person arranging the display a means of expressing his/her creativity and artistry. Many such displays are of such beauty and intricacy that other individuals travel sizable distances for the sole purpose of viewing the displays and appreciating the artistry. Similarly, many businesses use lamp displays as a means of attracting clientele, whether such displays be seasonal or perennial.
One problem often encountered in such displays is an individual's inability to create stable three-dimensional lamp arrangements. Many individuals have the talent to arrange the lamps artistically, but lack the ability to create free-hanging light "sculptures."
Another problem is that those individuals who do have sufficient ability often give little thought to the safety factors involved, making such sculptures of wire, paper, cardboard, etc. Such conductive and flammable materials may present a danger of electrical shock or fire.
A practical problem arises in that an individual may and often does spend considerable time and money in crafting a sculpture by hand. However, the costs of the basic materials of the sculpture, the costs of incidental items (such as clips with which to fasten the lamps to the sculpture) may drive the overall cost well out of budget. These costs, coupled with the actual time of construction, a time perhaps better spent in other ways, may represent an overall loss to the individual or business involved.
Often, the mechanical construction of such sculptures may be of a nature that precludes longevity of use. Little thought may be given to the choice of materials and the methods of construction regarding durability. Paper or cardboard, for example, may fail abruptly during a sudden rain shower or in a moderate breeze. Such a failure might represent a total loss of invested time and moneys.
Likewise, improper construction techniques for the intended location may lead to loss. For example, if the lamps were mounted on the outer surface of a free-hanging sculpture and the sculpture were to be hung close to a wall, a pole, another sculpture, or some other object, a moderate breeze may case the sculpture to strike against the adjacent object with sufficient force to crack or shatter one or more lamps. This would represent a loss and possibly a safety hazard.
Artistically, another problem presents itself in that the materials used for the sculpture may have no light-transmissive properties of their own, causing the sculpture to be mere points of light in space. Skeletal materials such as wire, for example, may created a points-of-light sculpture. While such a sculpture may admittedly have its own charm, the desired effect inherent in the intrinsic shape or design of the sculpture may well be lost to the viewer at all but an optimum viewing angle. By contrast, paper and other similar materials are opaque or semi-opaque, and may create an occultation problem. Again the desired effect may be reduced to an optimum viewing angle.
Another practical problem exists in the storage and transport of the sculptures. By the very three-dimensional nature of the shapes that give the sculptures their beauty, they may require a disproportionate volume of space for their storage or transport. As a result, many such sculptures with potentially long periods of use may have to be discarded, with the resultant requirement that they be created anew for subsequent occasions. Similarly, the excessive space required may often prohibit storage of very many sculptures, creating a serious problem when differing collections of sculptures are desired for differing occasions, such as spheres or trees for Christmas, hearts for Valentines Day, pumpkins for Halloween, etc. Furthermore, a serious transport problem may exist when such displays are to be repetitively used at differing locations. The high volume of the displays may require the use of multiple vehicles or a larger vehicle, with an increase of transport time or cost. This problem might be especially critical were the sculptures to be used commercially, for example as decorations for outdoor weddings.
What is needed is a three-dimensional light sculpture in varying shapes that is esthetically pleasing, prefabricated, safe, easy to assemble or disassemble, and requires minimal storage space.